The Romantic Tales of Tenchi
by Garylisk
Summary: Told in first person POV from different characters' views, a tale of not-so-gentle romance unfolds. Unbeknownst to said characters, these seemingly normal events of their lives will become an ordeal unlike any they have faced. (An ongoing story)
1. A Peaceful Moment

A Peaceful Moment (#1)  
A Tenchi & company short story by Gary Littlejohn  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
All Tenchi* characters and the like are trademarks of AIC/Pioneer.  
I did not invent these characters, I simply thought up the situation  
for them to be in.  
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If you are reading this on fanfiction.net, remember to scroll through the   
chapters using the controls ont he upper right of the page!  
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The evening was mild and I was sitting outside thinking to myself.  
My thoughts were interrupted by noise from inside the house, and soon after  
the noise, I heard Ayeka yelling at Ryoko about breaking something. Ryoko,  
aggrivated about Ayeka's complaints as usual, snapped back.  
  
"Yeah, well at least I'm not always whining about everything!" Ryoko yelled  
back, and I could hear the fire in her voice. I always hated hearing her  
yell like that. I knew that deep down inside, she was really much more  
gentle than that. Of course, the same went for Ayeka.  
  
"Yes well, we can't expect grace from a freak of nature!" Ayeka snapped back.  
"After all, you WERE created from those freakish masses."  
  
"Ayeka!" Ryoko screamed, her voice breaking. "I... I hate you, you stuck up  
little twerp! I hate you!!"  
  
And then I saw Ryoko come through the wall accross the deck and lean against  
that same wall. She stared blankly towards the water, not saying anything.  
From where I was sitting, I was fairly sure she couldn't see me since I was  
somewhat shrouded by the shadows. I looked at her face and into her eyes,  
and I saw her sadness. I could almost feel it deep in my heart. She was  
a bedevilingly beautiful woman. Her face was fair and sweet, her eyes full  
of secrets and surprises, and her body was perfectly formed on top of that.  
And somewhere under her cold exterior was a warm heart that beat with a  
passion for everything she did. She truly was marvelous. I really thought  
very highly of her, if only she would stop acting the way she did. Every  
time I would say her name, I would get chills down my spine...  
  
"Ryoko..." I whispered to myself, and I felt goosebumps on my neck. But  
suddenly, I looked up and she was approaching me with her sad eyes looking  
right into mine. I was hypnotized by the very sight of those pools of  
radiance.  
  
"Tenchi." She said, as she approached and sat down with me. "I.. I didn't  
know you were here." She sat next to me, her arms wrapped around her knees.  
  
"Tenchi." She finally said after a moment. "Do you think that I'm a freak  
of nature? That I'm a monster? Am I really that horrible?"  
  
I froze. I didn't know what to say to her. I wanted to tell her that  
there was no way anyone as beautiful as that could be a monster! However  
I did not want to say such a thing to her, for it would only encourage her  
to go back to Ayeka and boast. That was the trouble with these two, you see.  
If I compliment either of them, it's just another weapon against the other.  
  
"Ryoko." I managed to say. "How could I possibly think that a friend like you  
is a monster or a freak?"  
  
She looked up and gazed into my eyes, hers sparkling like gems by firelight.  
"Oh Tenchi, do you really mean it?"  
  
I smiled back. "Of course I do."  
  
She sniffled, blinked, and then suddenly tears began to flow from her eyes  
like a waterfall after a rainstorm.  
  
"Oh Tenchi!" She cried, and buried her face into my chest, wrapping her arms  
around me in a warm embrace.  
  
I hugged her back and continud to hold her in my arms until she fell asleep.  
I looked down at her, lying there asleep in my arms. She was beautiful even  
when she slept. So content, so peaceful. She had lead a hard life of  
one trauma after another, but her pure good heart really shone in moments  
like this. I leaned forward and kissed her gently on her forehead.  
  
"Ryoko, you are my best friend." I whispered, and a smile seemed to come  
accross her face as she slept. I then leaned back against the wall and  
fell unconscious myself.  
  
The End  
  
(C)2000 Gary Littlejohn 


	2. The First

The First (#2)  
A Tenchi & company short story by Gary Littlejohn  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
All Tenchi* characters and the like are trademarks of AIC/Pioneer.  
I did not invent these characters, I simply thought up the situation  
for them to be in.  
--------------------  
  
I came home from tending the fields as normal yesterday, to the house,  
which seemed unusually quiet this evening. Sasami was cooking dinner, Mihoshi  
was asleep on the couch, Ayeka was reading, Washu was nowhere to be seen, probably  
in her lab, and Ryoko was sitting by herself, she seemed to be in deep thought.  
I wondered what she was thinking about for amoment, but sometimes it's impossible  
to know just what is going through her mind sometimes. I went upstairs, took a shower,  
and changed clothes, all of which went without interruption. Nothing of this day  
suggested that anything out of the norm would happen.  
  
Thinking back now though, there was a kind of tenseness in the air.  
The quiet atmosphere was kind of creepy and unusual. It was alien to this household.  
I suppose I knew in my bones or something that there was going to be an event later  
that would affect my life, even just a little.  
  
Anyway, the evening progressed without a hitch. Sasami served dinner, and  
everyone sat around the table to eat, talking cheerfully, conversing about the  
day's events, joking about this and that. Nothing unusual, just the norm. Except  
for Ryoko that is, who remained silent and thoughtful throughout the whole dinner.  
I hadn't really noticed though, and I suppose I should feel bad about that, but I  
honestly didn't even think to comment or express a concern, because Ryoko is Ryoko,  
and she gets like this sometimes. Usually all that can be done is to leave her to  
her thoughts until she sorts things out in her head herself.  
  
The later half of the evening was spent leisurely. Ayeka finished her  
book, and then she and Sasami retired to their room upstairs. Sasami herself seemed quiet  
that evening as well, and I couldn't figure out at the time why she was like that, but I think  
it was because of Ryoko's silence. It's funny how someone can bring another person to silence  
just by being quiet themselves. I think it may be due to the fact that Sasami could  
tell what Ryoko was thinking about so seriously, but I can't be sure, because I have  
not asked her about it, nor does anyone know about what happened that night anyway.  
  
I went to bed soon after Ayeka and Sasami. The blankets felt cool and calming as  
I pulled them over my body, and the bed was soft and relaxing. After working in the fields  
all day, I was tired and had been looking forward to this time of sweet unconsciousness.  
Soon I fell asleep.  
  
I can't remember what time it was, but I was awakened by the sound of someone's voice  
calling my name from outside the window. I glanced out, my eyes glazed over with sleep, and saw  
Ryoko looking up at me, smiling. She gently glided up to my window and phased through, taking  
foot next to my bed.  
  
"What are you doing up at this time of night, Ryoko? Aren't you tired?" I asked.  
  
She simply nodded her head in response, retaining her calm quietness as she had been  
doing the whole day. It was at that moment that I realized that she had been silent earlier,  
and had not said a word to me all day.  
  
"Is something wrong, Ryoko? You seem troubled lately." I said, wiping the sleep  
from my eyes, looking up at her dark sillhouette.  
  
"Nothing really, Tenchi." She smiled. "I just can't sleep tonight. That's all."  
  
I thought to myself for a moment. I wonder if she's planning something. She's tried  
something like this many times before, where she would try to come into my room and  
sleep with me. I had always calmly made excuses to get her to leave and go to bed, but tonight,  
I don't know what had come over me, but I felt devious suddenly. I wondered how she would  
react if invited to spend the night in my room. Was she truly as bold as she pretended to be?  
My mind still partially asleep, and my devious thoughts going through my head, I just blurted it  
out suddenly without thinking.  
  
"Why don't you sleep in here tonight, then? Would that help?" I asked, and then  
eagerly awaited her reaction. I suppose it was cruel of me to do this to her, but I figured  
that it was a small drop in the pond compared to some of the stunts she pulls. She blinked,  
and looked at me with astonishment on her face, as if I had just told her the meaning  
of life itself. I didn't know what to make of that look.  
  
"Tenchi, did you..." she paused a moment to think. "..Just say what I think you did?"  
  
"Of course I did, you heard me right." I replied.  
  
She suddenly composed herself, and kind of made a scoffing noise before she spoke.  
"Well Tenchi, Thank you, but I think I'd rather sleep on my pad than the floor of your room."  
  
Was she just using the situation? Did she know what I was doing? Or was she serious?  
I didn't know if I should continue on this tangeant or not. It could get dangerous, and  
I wasn't sure I wanted that right now. However, my curiosity got the best of me.  
  
I lifted the covers and scooted over, saying "Why would you sleep on the floor? Just  
climb in bed with me." I couldn't believe I had just said that. That was practically an  
invitation to my virginity for all Ryoko knew. Especially since Ryoko constantly thought  
about my virginity, no doubt. I was a little scared, and shook at the thought. I am still  
not sure what kind of shaking it was, though. Was it from fear or excitement? I had never in  
my life been this open with Ryoko, and I had certainly never invited anyone to sleep with me,  
let alone a girl who lusts after me. I awaited her response.  
  
She was taken aback by the offer for certain, and blinked in thought, as if she  
was searching for the way to react to the words. After a minute's deliberation, she took  
two steps forward, and leaned over my bed. She put a hand on either side of me, trapping  
me under the covers, and she just stared down into my eyes, hers sparkling lightly.  
  
She began to speak, "Tenchi, I..." but then she couldn't seem to say anything else.  
I didn't know what she was going to do, and again, I could feel myself trembling, either  
in fear or in excitement. Either way, my adrenaline was rushing, and I felt like I had  
never felt before. She leaned down and pressed her lips to mine. At first I resisted, but  
just for a moment. Then I began to think again. this was the first time I had ever had a woman's  
lips pressed to mine. This was the first time I had ever been this close to a woman before.  
Actual physical contact behond just a slight touch or a hug. I wasn't sure what to do, but it  
felt warm and friendly.  
  
I looked into Ryoko's eyes, as if to ask "What are you doing?". She looked  
back into mine, as if to say "I'm not sure." Then it hit me... Ryoko and I were both virgins.  
We had never done anything like this before, neither of us. It was sudden and unexpected.  
It was fast and unprecendented. I looked into her eyes a moment more, and then  
just closed mine. Then the next thing to happen startled me even more.  
  
I felt something warm enter my mouth. I knew what it was, there was no mistake about  
that. This was it. I was having my first kiss. My first real kiss. I didn't know what to  
do. I just layed there, mouth open, accepting Ryoko's tongue, which was slightly trembling.  
I wondered if this was her first time as well. Our tongues touched gently, a strange sensation  
unlike any other in the world. There was no real taste to it like some people like to talk  
about. It was as if I were kissing my own tongue, and yet it moved by itself, gently dancing  
with mine. I sighed, breathing out against her face, and I could feel her breath on my cheek  
as well. This moment, completely unexpected, was very nice. An undescribable feeling rising  
through my body as we kissed.  
  
And then, as suddenly as it had started, it was over. She gently pulled away from me,  
and placed her hand on my cheek. She looked down into my eyes, not knowing what to say, just  
like I had no idea what to say as well.  
  
Finally, she put her arms around me and hugged herself close to me for a moment. Soon  
after, she stood up. We spent a moment just looking at one another, in disbelief as to what  
had just happened.  
  
She smiled at me gently, and spoke. "Good night, Tenchi. I'm going to bed now." her  
voice somewhat choked up as if she was about to cry.  
  
I smiled back. "Good night, Ryoko... Good night."  
  
Ryoko walked to my door and opened it. She glanced back at me once more, then walked away.  
  
A moment later, I heard another set of footsteps lightly walking away from my room in the  
hallway. I was not sure whose they were, and I might never find out. When I called out to see  
who it was, there was no answer, just a sound of a door opening and shutting down the hall.  
  
Had they seen what had happened? Or were they just passing by? I tried not to  
linger on thoughts like that, and gradually dozed off.  
  
My first kiss that night was everything I had expected and more. I had no regrets, and  
no dissapointment. Today, Ryoko was back to her normal self again, happy and energetic.  
I wonder if she had planned the whole situation out beforehand that day while she had been quiet,  
or if it took her by surprise as well. I might ask her someday, but for now, I'll just  
leave it be.  
  
And now, I think I'll go to bed. I wonder if she'll come to my room again tonight...  
  
THE END  
  
(C)2002 Gary Littlejohn 


	3. Unexpected Confrontation

Unexpected Confrontation (#3)  
A Tenchi & company short story by Gary Littlejohn  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
All Tenchi* characters and the like are trademarks of AIC/Pioneer.  
I did not invent these characters, I simply thought up the situation  
for them to be in.  
--------------------  
  
  
I couldn't have been more pleased with myself if I tried.  
  
I sat in my bed, wide awake, my arms wrapped around my legs, thinking about   
what had just happened. I had been waiting for years now for that one moment  
of bliss. I had been a little deceptive, and a little conniving, but I got  
what I wanted. I was used to getting what I wanted, of course.  
  
Many thoughts suddenly rushed through my mind, and I thought hard on each one.  
The first thought was of Ayeka. I wonder how she would react if she knew what  
had happened... Well one thing's for sure, I'm not gonna tell her. That  
would only cause trouble if I did.  
  
Then I thought of Tenchi. I still couldn't believe he had let me do that. What  
was even more surprising was that he was actually inviting me to sleep with  
him. What did he mean by that? Surely not... no, there's no way he'd be ready  
for anything like that yet. I know him so well, and I know he must have had some other  
reason for saying those things. Maybe he was curious as to how I would react.  
Whatever his reasons, maybe I'll never know.  
  
Then I thought more deeply about Tenchi. He had never been with a woman before,  
so he was a virgin, as pure as snow. Compared to my lecherous past*, anyway. I was  
as filthy as they come. I had never thought back to those days, really, until now.  
I had tried anything and everything there was. You couldn't name the position I had  
not been in, you couldn't utter an act I had not done. In this moment of horrible   
memory, I realized something which scared me beyond anything else. Have I been  
taking Tenchi's purity away? Had I been trying to steal from him the last  
of his youth? What if he doesn't want a woman who has done so many things? What  
if he will be repulsed by the truth? Am I just damaged goods, unfit to present  
to him? I was, and I knew it.  
  
In that moment of revelation, I fell to the bed and cried.  
  
After a few minutes with my tears, I decided to do something that I normally would not.  
The next day, I would go to his room again, this time to confess to him  
everything. I am not sure why I had decided on it, and I am not sure why  
I felt it necessarry. Hell, we weren't even in a serious relationship.  
But I loved him so much, I wanted him to know everything about me, just  
like I knew everything about him. No matter how he reacted, I would take it  
and be strong.  
  
Suddenly, there was a knock on my door.  
  
"It's open, come in." I beckoned. The door opened to reveal Sasami, a concerned   
look on her face.  
  
"Ryoko-oneechan**... I heard you crying. What's wrong?" She asked, her voice  
innocent and genuine as always.  
  
"It's nothing, Sasami. I'm fine." I said. "Don't worry about me."  
  
She stood there silently for a moment and then stepped forward slightly.  
  
"Ryoko-chan***.. I mean..." she held back, as if she was trying to say something. "What I  
mean is that... I didn't mean to peek, but I was walking past Tenchi's room earlier,  
and well... I saw..." she finally said, shying away at the end. I couldn't believe it.  
She'd seen Tenchi and I kissing. Had she watched the whole thing?  
  
"Well, Sasami, it was dark.. so maybe you just thought you saw something. Right?" I asked,  
hoping she'd either believe me or get my hint.  
  
"Ryoko-oneechan..." she whispered. "I promise not to tell anyone. Not even  
my sister. It's just that I..." she stuttered. "I...."  
  
I could hear the tears trying to come out from her voice, which was shaking. I  
could tell she was holding back. This was something I had not expected at all.  
Could it be that Sasami was in love with Tenchi, too? But she had never mentioned  
anything about it. What was she trying to accomplish in telling me this?  
I suppose when a heart is broken, some things just come out.  
  
"Sasami..." I said, standing up and walking towards her. "I'm sorry. What happened  
in there earlier was completely my fault. I'm sorry." I said, reaching out to hug her.  
  
She looked up at me, almost angrily, and backed away from my embrace. "No, Ryoko. It  
was Tenchi, too. He invited you to stay in there with him! I heard it!"  
  
Ouch! Had she been standing at his door that long?! The situation was beginning to   
scare me a little bit. I wasn't sure how to deal with this. If it were  
Ayeka, I would know what to do, but this was Sasami!  
  
"I swear, Ryoko." She sternly spoke "I will, from this day forth, try my hardest  
to show Tenchi that I am a woman, too! This body of mine decieves the  
eye, but I am Juraian****, never forget that! I am old enough to understand  
the ways of the heart! And I understand my heart completely!  
I love Tenchi so much, but I never acted because I felt I would only  
get in the way of you and my sister, but no more! Believe me when I say this. I  
will do my best to show Tenchi that I have so much to offer him! There will  
be no way he will be able deny it... It's time for me to grow up!"  
  
I couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth! Never in all my time at  
this house would I ever have suspected such harsh words to come from the tongue  
of this fair, sweet princess! It was true though, it was obvious how much she loved  
Tenchi. She cooked his meals, she kept him company, she comforted him. She  
loved him so much, and it was right in front of all our noses from the very beginning!  
  
"Sasami..." I said, at a loss for rational though. "I... I knew all along... but I  
never suspected somehow. All I can say is that I am sorry."  
  
Then, Sasami surprised me again. She lifted her head and smiled. That smile was  
so huge and so powerful, it was as if she had lifted the biggest weight  
off her back. Her energy erupted all around, I could feel it... Her heart.  
  
"Ryoko. You won a kiss from Tenchi tonight, but that's only the beginning." she  
laughed. "Eventually, you will see that in this battle, it will take more  
than a kiss to win! I'll never give up!"  
  
We both stood there quietly, and then suddenly began laughing out loud.  
It was as if we had been possessed to do so, we fell to the floor laughing. There was  
then a knock, and Ayeka's head popped in, her eyes groggy, still half asleep.  
  
"What's going on in here?" she asked "There are those of us who need to sleep!"  
  
She blinked. "Sasami! Why are you in here?"  
  
"Don't worry, Sister!" Sasami laughed. "Let's go back to bed."  
  
"Right..." said Ayeka, trudging back to bed.  
  
"I'll never give up, Ryoko-oneechan. Never!" Sasami said, smiling at me.  
  
I smiled back "Same here, kid! Get ready for a real fight if you're goin' up  
against me!"  
  
She walked to me and hugged me tightly. "Still friends forever no matter what?" she  
asked. Now this was the Sasami I was used to. All in all, she really wasn't  
that much different, even when she was serious.  
  
"Of course, Sasami. I wouldn't dream of letting something like a man come between  
us. I'm stronger than that!" I chuckled.  
  
She smiled up at me, let go, and went back to her room.  
  
All in all, this has been the most eventful evening I've had in a long time. I layed  
down and went to sleep, thoughts of the coming "battle" running through my head.  
  
"You know, Ryoko." I said to myself. "This might be your toughest fight yet!"  
  
-----  
* Refers to Ryoko's past as described in the series of novels titled "True Tenchi   
Muyo" by Masaki Kajishima. Appearently, Ryoko had some spare time while working   
for Kagato, and since she lacked a normal upbringing, she was not sure how to handle   
her emotions or sexual drive when they began to emerge. Because of this, she   
experimented with sex heavily for a while. Also according to the novels, Ryoko derives   
no pleasure from sexual intercourse, or at least she didn't back then. (However, we do   
know from episode 2 that she does derive pleasure from certain type of pain, and admits   
to being a sadist - so it seems that S&M is her thing, heh!)  
** Oneechan is a suffix in Japanese. It is like adding "Dear sister" to the beginning   
of someone's name in English. In this case, Sasami is not literally saying that Ryoko   
is her sister, but is using the suffix affectionately.  
*** Chan is a suffix in Japanese. It implies great familiarity and a friendship with   
the person whose name you add it to. Also, it's cute.  
**** Juraians, after merging with a tree, age a lot slower than humans. Some people   
say that Sasami was in stasis with her sister on board Ryo-Oh for 700 years, but I   
prefer to think that they were not in Stasis the whole time. On top of that, many   
years passed on Jurai between the time when Sasami was born and the time when Ryoko   
attacked. Think of it this way... Sasami was born over 700 years ago. Let me put it   
to you straight... people have said that they disagree that Sasami would be   
romantically interested in Tenchi because of her age. Lighten up, people. She's about   
800 years old. Deal with it. She's in the "Tenchi Race" too, whether you like it or not...  
-----  
  
To be continued  
  
(C)2002 Gary Littlejohn  
  
garylisk@yahoo.com - Comments welcome 


	4. Prophecy of Love and Death?

Prophecy of Love and Death? (#4)  
A Tenchi & company short story by Gary Littlejohn  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
All Tenchi* characters and the like are trademarks of AIC/Pioneer.  
I did not invent these characters, I simply thought up the situation  
for them to be in.  
--------------------  
  
I was standing in the middle of a dark room. I knew immediately that this must  
be a dream. However, despite that fact, I could never stop these dreams... They  
came as if broadcast to my brain, and I could not stop watching, no matter  
how graphic, painful, or disturbing they were. All I could do was live  
through it and hope that it would not be horrible.  
  
I walked forward, and suddenly I felt the need to look around for my friends.  
This was typical of these dreams. I never knew what to do except look for my  
companions, so I called out their names.  
  
"Tenchi..." I said softly. "Ryoko... Ayeka... Where are you guys?"  
  
Huh. No sign of them, as expected. Suddenly, I heard a voice calling my name.  
It was Tenchi!  
  
"I'm right here!" I said, running toward the voice. Tenchi eventually came into  
view, and a moment later, Ryoko and Ayeka as well. Those two now stood inbetween  
Tenchi and I. Their eyes seemed evil, or maybe angry, I don't know.  
  
"You little bitch!" Ryoko yelled at me "What do you think you're doing, going  
after Tenchi? There's no way you can defeat me! Tenchi and I have kissed!"  
  
"That's right!" chimes in Ayeka, agreeing with Ryoko for a change. "At this point,  
the only one who could even come close to winning Tenchi's heart other than  
Ryoko is me! And don't you forget it, LITTLE sister!"  
  
"You guys... Stop it... I don't want to fight with you!" I cried, tears streaming   
down my face.  
  
"That's right." A voice chimed in, somehow familiar, and somehow not. "There is no  
need for fighting. This boy's heart already belongs to me!"  
  
"Who said that!?" Yelled out Ryoko.  
  
"Show yourself!" Demanded Ayeka  
  
The two stood there for a moment, looking around, and then I heard a gunshot and saw  
my sister hit by it, falling to the ground, he blood pouring from the new wound  
like a faucet. She didn't even scream. Here eyes just kind of went blank as she  
fell to the ground.  
  
"Ayeka!!" I screamed, my tears now coming out like waterfalls. "Tenchi! Do something!  
Save her!"  
  
Tenchi began to move towards Ayeka when another gunshot was heard. Tenchi's eyes  
clenched shut and he leapt towards Ryoko. It al happened so fast, but in the end,  
Tenchi took the blast right in his chest, but on the wrong side to hit his  
heart. Even so, it was painful to watch such a thing. A third gunshot rang out.  
Ryoko tried to avoid it, but the energy blast seemed to home in on her head. It hit  
its mark dead-on, burning off Ryoko's face, burning her hair off, and blowing a   
hole clean through her forehead. It almost seemed to go in slow motion,  
and no matter how much I wanted to stop watching, I couldn't. The dream was  
forcing me to watch it, and there was nothing I could do.  
  
"No! Stop this! Somebody help!" I yelled as I crawled towards Tenchi and Ryoko.  
  
"Sa... Sasami..." Tenchi whispered, barely able to breathe. I took his hand   
and looked down into his eyes.  
  
"Tenchi, no... You can't die, Tenchi! What about Ryoko and Ayeka!? What about me!?" I  
said in disbeleif. "You can't leave us! We need you! I... Need you."  
  
"Sasami..." he spoke weakly. "Thank you.. for always being there for me. Even now,  
I can't tell you how special you are to me. I'm sorry I couldn't save them...  
They were like family to you... and to me..."  
  
"Tenchi please don't die!" I pleaded, as if it was going to help him.  
  
"Sasami..." He bagan, again speaking my name fondly. "Did you know that your eyes   
are beautiful? I've always... thought so."  
  
I cried more when he said that because I had always wanted to hear something like that  
from him. But this was just a dream, and in this dream world, he was dying!  
  
"Tenchi, don't talk like that! Please don't die! I'll let you look at my eyes  
as much as you want if you just live through this! Please! Tenchi, I love you!" I  
cried out, not knowing what else to say. Then a heard another gunshot.  
  
Suddenly the scene changed and I was standing in a different place. In the distance, I saw Tenchi,  
Ryoko, Ayeka, and me. I looked down at my right had and noticed that I was  
holding a blaster. Involuntarally I lifted the gun and aimed it at my sister.  
  
"No..." I told myself. "Don't do it!"  
  
But I couldn't stop it. I pulled the trigger and watched my sister die again. I switched  
targets to Ryoko and fired again, and saw Tenchi jump in front of her, getting shot  
instead.  
  
"Shit!" I said, as if it weren't me saying it. I fired again, this time hitting Ryoko  
dead-on and sending her flying. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes.  
I looked up and screamed out.  
  
"WHAT DOES IT MEAN!!!!?" My voice echoed accross what seemed to be infinite space.  
  
Suddenly I felt my hand trembling and I brought the gun up to my own head.  
  
"No!" I yelled desperately. "I don't want to die!"  
  
But it didn't matter. I pulled the trigger and blew my own brains out.  
  
That's when I woke up, saying the same thing I had just dreamed. "I don't want to die..."  
  
What did it mean? I didn't understand, but it seemed like maybe something was going to  
happen to the four of us. I was puzzled why in the second half of the dream  
I was the shooter. Well, hopefully I can sleep through the night now without  
anymore bad dreams. I'm going back to bed.  
  
THE END  
  
(C)2002 Gary Littlejohn 


	5. The Battle of Breakfast

The Battle of Breakfast (#5)  
A Tenchi & company short story by Gary Littlejohn  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
All Tenchi* characters and the like are trademarks of AIC/Pioneer.  
I did not invent these characters, I simply thought up the situation  
for them to be in.  
--------------------  
  
I woke up this morning with a renewed spirit! The events of last night lingered  
in my mind, but I was glad that I had done what I did. The dream afterwards  
was scary, but such dreams occurred often enough that I was able to somewhat  
ignore it. Could it possibly mean that my will to win Tenchi from Ryoko and  
my sister was so great that I would go as far as... no, that's a silly thought.  
I'd never do something like that! It's just not like me.  
  
"Isn't it?" a voice somewhere said. I turned to look and see, but nobody was there.  
  
"Heh.. My imagination." I said to myself reassuringly. "Well, time to make breakfast!"  
  
I went downstairs and a smell entered my nostrils. Someone else was cooking.  
It's strange that someone besides me cooks around here seeing as everyone  
loves my cooking so much. It couldn't be Ryoko because it smelled too good! I  
laughed to myself and walked into the kitchen. When I saw who it was, my jaw dropped  
in shock. Sure enough, it was Ryoko!  
  
"Ryoko! What are you doing?" I asked as I approached her.  
  
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm making breakfast." She replied simply.  
  
"Ryoko..." I sighed. "Don't you remember what happened last time you tried to cook?  
You have no sense of taste! How can you tell if it tastes good?"  
  
Ryoko blinked in thought, then responded. "Oh that was before I found out that  
there are these things called cook books that tell you how to make the food!"  
  
She spoke of cook books as if they were the best thing ever.. like they were  
some kind of new revolutionary invention. Sometimes Ryoko's naieve'te  
was astounding.  
  
"Well it doesn't look like you're making enough for everyone, Ryoko." I said,  
noticing that she was only frying three eggs and had just one bowl's worth of rice  
steaming.  
  
"Well of course. This is a breakfast for Tenchi." she said, her eyes sparkling.  
  
I couldn't believe that she was going to try the same old tired food tactic  
again after she had failed so miserably last time.  
  
"Well..." I said, keeping my thoughts to myself. "I'll start up breakfast  
for everyone else then. What do you want, Ryoko?"  
  
"It doesn't matter to me." she replied. "It all tastes like air."  
  
I sighed again. She was absolutely no help when it came to food. I started some  
more rice steaming and figured I could make hotcakes. Everyone seems to like  
them a lot, and we hadn't had them for a long time.  
  
I began to think about what had happened last night. That I had seen Ryoko and  
Tenchi kissing, and had actually confronted Ryoko about it. I was now officially  
Ryoko's love rival. Was this why she was making this food for Tenchi?  
Did she intend to somehow "replace" me in Tenchi's heart by making him food?  
The thought burned the back of my brain for some reason. I was actually getting  
angry about it, and it was nothing really. What the heck was wrong with me?  
  
I tried to not think about it and keep cooking, but it kept coming back. What could  
I do about it, though? For some reason, I wanted to stop her! I wanted to stop that  
simple three egg breakfast from being delivered to Tenchi's room! How could I do it  
though? Ryoko was being so mean by making breakfast for Tenchi! Is this what it's  
like to be love rivals? Is this how Ayeka and Ryoko think all the time about  
each other? I hated it, but I suddenly threw my body into action as if  
I had put no thought into it.  
  
I saw Ryoko pick up the tray of food and begin to walk out of the kitchen. I moved  
towards her and when I was almost near her, I pretended to trip and fall right into her.  
  
"Ryoko, by the way, I... WAH!" I cried in the most convincing voice I could come up with.  
I slammed into Ryoko's back, trying to make it seem accidental, but putting enough force   
into it to make sure that the food fell on the floor.  
  
Sure enough, the tray went tumbling down as Ryoko stumbled from being fallen upon.   
The plate with the eggs dropped onto the ground face first, breaking the egg yolks and   
causing quite the little mess. The bowl of rice fell and broke into pieces,   
spreading grains of rice about. To top it all off, the cup of hot tea fell down off the   
tray towards Ryoko, spilling all over her dress.  
  
"Oh my gosh! This is terrible! Ryoko-oneechan! Are you okay?" I yelled, halfway  
meaning it since the hot tea probably hurt her. I couldn't believe what I  
had just done. It was the most horrible, sneaky, underhanded, mean thing I had ever  
done to anyone. Somewhere deep inside me, a piece of my soul felt like it died. But  
the deed was already done, and I pressed on.  
  
Ryoko fell to her knees and began to pick up pieces of the rice bowl, not saying  
a word. She seemed so sad. I hated myself for what I had done. But for some reason  
I continued the act.  
  
"Ryoko... oneechan..." I said in a small voice. "Are you.. okay?"  
  
"I'm..." she managed to get out. "I'm fine... I guess I'll just have to do it again."  
  
"Don't worry about it." I said reassuringly. "I'm making hotcakes. There'll be  
enough for everyone, I promise. Here, let me clean that up. You should go change."  
  
She stood up and brushed herself off. "I suppose you're right." she said, her voice  
breaking up a little bit. I felt my heart clench from the sound in her voice.  
  
"By the way, Sasami. What was it you wanted to tell me?" she asked.  
  
"Oh.. It was nothing." I said in shame. "Nothing at all..."  
  
"Oh I see." she replied, and then headed upstairs to change her clothes. I heard her  
a moment later meet Tenchi in the upstairs hall. I listened intently, not wanting  
to miss what was said.  
  
"Ryoko, what happened to you? You're dress is all wet." Tenchi asked her.  
  
"Nothing really, Tenchi. I just need to go change." she said quietly. I could her  
the dissapointment in her voice. Somewhere inside of me, I felt so glad hearing that  
dissapointed tone. Why, though? Why should I be happy when she is sad? What's  
wrong with me?  
  
A moment later, I hear Tenchi say "Ryoko, about last night... I think that..."  
  
"Tenchi." Ryoko interupted. "Don't worry about it."  
  
Then I heard a door open and close, followed by Tenchi sighing in frustration.  
  
"How can I just forget about it? Sheesh..." Tenchi said to himself as he began   
walking down the stairs. He noticed the mess immediately.  
  
"Gosh, what happened?" he asked, confused.  
  
"Oh nothing, Tenchi" I said sweetly.  
  
"Good to hear. What's for breakfast?" he asked me.  
  
"Hotcakes!" I said happily.  
  
"Sounds great!" he said. "Do you need any help cleaning this mess up?"  
  
"No, I'm almost done anyway." I smiled to him. "It's under control."  
  
He smiled back and walked into the kitchen. I looked back down at the mess   
and frowned.  
  
"It's under control..." I repeated quietly. "But... am I?"  
  
THE END  
  
(C)2002 Gary Littlejohn 


	6. The Confession

Sorry to keep you all waiting!  
Here's Chapter 6!  
  
The Confession (#6)  
A Tenchi & company short story by Gary Littlejohn  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
All Tenchi* characters and the like are trademarks of AIC/Pioneer.  
I did not invent these characters, I simply thought up the situation  
for them to be in.  
--------------------  
  
Let me tell you, I don't know how I ended up out by the cave, but  
there I was. Maybe I wandered there on purpose, or maybe by accident.  
Either way, this cave seemed to be connected to me in many ways.  
  
As I sat down on the familiar rock formations ouside the entrance,  
memories always flooded into my head. All of them had to do with  
Tenchi. I would always watch him from here, and I would always feel  
so sad when he had to go.  
  
And then, finally, one day he came inside the cave. I could feel the  
tension in my mind as he came nearer and nearer. As he approached the  
area of my confinement, I felt the energy coming to me from those gems,  
and I was given the strength to rise and finally greet Tenchi.  
  
But of course, he was scared. Anyone would have been, I suppose.  
Especially at the state I was in, having been there for 700 years.  
I must have really looked like a mummy.  
  
Of course, I got my looks back... but the fact remains that I am  
not human. Of course, Tenchi isn't human either. Or at least half  
of him. It makes me wonder if Tenchi minds that fact. Is he  
still scared of me? It's hard to tell with Tenchi, since he's  
always being so thoughtful. I swear, sometimes it's annoying  
just how friendly he is!  
  
And yet, it's his most attractive feature. His heart, I mean. I  
can't imagine loving anyone else in this whole universe! But I  
wonder if Tenchi could possibly love someone like me in this wide cosmos.  
Of all the people he could love, would he choose me?  
  
Tonight was the night I was going to find out though. TOnight was the  
night that I had swore to confess everything to Tenchi. I had decided last  
night to tell Tenchi everything about me, not leaving out a single detail.  
He might get scared or appalled, but I don't care. I would tell him  
everything.  
  
Yes. Everything.  
  
I stood with strength and walked back towards the house. I looked up at  
Tenchi's window, hesitated for a moment, and then called his name out.  
A moment later I saw his face peek out his window and look down at me.  
He waved and I floated up to his window and entered, taking foot by his bed  
just as I had the previous night.  
  
"Ryoko" he said "About last night..."  
  
"Tenchi, don't worry about it. I have something much more important to talk  
to you about." I replied. He looked concerned.  
  
"What's wrong, Ryoko? Of course, you're thinking about what we did..." he  
stuttered for a moment, "I wasn't in my right mind. I'm sorry."  
  
"Tenchi, I'm the one who should apologise." I said "I planned the whole thing.  
I was planning to kiss you. It was a bad thing for me to do... so I  
am the one who should be sorry." I was holding back tears.  
  
"You... planed the whole thing?" he said, astonished. He must have been astonished.  
Why wouldn't he be? I had stolen his first kiss unjustly! "I don't  
believe it..."  
  
"I know!" I replied "I should make it up to you somehow!" I truly felt ashamed.  
  
Then Tenchi laughed. "I don't believe that I didn't figure that out on my own"  
  
I looked up, not knowing what to do. "Tenchi... You aren't mad?" I asked,  
a little bit of astonishment going through my mind as well now.  
  
He shook his head "Of course I'm not mad. Ryoko is Ryoko. I'd expect such things  
out of you." he smiled goofily "Sorry! I should have been more careful!" and then  
he laughed, as earnestly as always.  
  
I laghed as well. I didn't know what to do. I expected him to be mad.  
  
"Tenchi..." I said. "Look, there's another reason I came up here tonight." I looked  
up and saw a shocked expression on his face suddenly. "No no! It's not for 'that'!  
I wanted to talk to you about something else!" I said, a look of relief spreading  
accross his face now.  
  
He sat up on his bed cross-legged. "Well.. what's up?" he asked, probably thinking  
I was going to make some sort of light conversation.  
  
"Tenchi..." I finally got the courage to say. "I'm dirty."  
  
"What... do you mean?" he asked, as a thick air suddenly spread accross the room.  
  
"I mean... Well... I'm not innocent you might say. Yes. That's a good way to put  
it. I'm not as innocent as you might think..." I said.  
  
"Ryoko... what do you mean by that?" he asked.  
  
"I mean... I've been with other men." I blurted out. "Many other men! I'm so  
dirty, I'm not even worthy to be with you, Tenchi! It was wrong to kiss  
you last night! It was probably wrong for me to come here tonight! But  
I had to tell you! I had to tell you! Do you see that?" I began to cry, and  
I could feel my confidence slipping away.  
  
"Ryoko, why are you telling me this?" he asked, his head lowered. "What  
could have happened to make you want to tell me this? Just that kiss?  
Was that kiss all it took to make you snap?" his voice sounded somewhat convicting.  
  
"Tenchi!" I looked up at him, and what I saw surprised me.  
  
I saw his face smiling at me.  
  
"I thought Ryoko was much stronger than that." He said softly.  
  
"Tenchi..." I said, not knowing how to follow that statement up. He was right.  
I always put on this tough face. I always triued to keep others out. Even him,  
the man I supposedly loved. He really didn't know anything about me at all.  
How could he truly love someone he didn't know? All this time, I took it for  
granted that he could easily love me back since I had known him since his   
childhood. However, he didn't know me that long. How could I have been so selfish?  
How could I have been so weak.  
  
To truly be strong, I had to let others in. I think that's what Tenchi wanted to say.  
I think that maybe he had said that to me just now, even without saying it directly.  
I wiped my tears and smiled back at him.  
  
"Of course I'm stronger than that. I'll show you how strong I am, Tenchi!" I grinned.  
"Maybe tonight, I can show you how strong I am... in bed!"  
  
"Hey now, don't joke like that!" he said back, keeping his smile. "Why don't you go  
to bed? You've had a tough moment here."  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Oh, by the way, Ryoko" he said as I was about to leave. I looked back.  
  
"Tonight, you showed me that you're incredibly strong." he smiled.  
  
Those words were like sunshine on a rainy day. I had been complimented by Tenchi! And  
even after I had confessed to him about my past.  
  
I walked out of his room and closed his door. I leaned my head against his door for a moment.  
I hadn't even gotten around to the real confession though. Something I am sure  
Tenchi already knew, but I had never said to him directly.  
  
"Tenchi..." I whispered. "I love you."  
  
I stood up straight, turned, and began to walk to my room when suddenly from down  
the hall came a scream and a bright flashing light. I ran down the hall towards  
the light, which was coming from Ayeka and Sasami's room. I heard Tenchi come out of  
his room and start running behind me.  
  
"What's going on?" he called out.  
  
"I don't know!" I yelled back as I got to their room and looked inside.  
  
"What the hell!!" Came out of my mouth naturally when I saw what was in that room.  
  
  
-----  
  
To be continued  
  
(C)2002 Gary Littlejohn  
  
dragon@icon-stl.net - Comments welcome 


	7. The Choushin: A Preface to War

Sorry to keep you all waiting!  
Here's Chapter 7!  
  
The Choushin: A Preface to War (#7)  
A Tenchi & company short story by Gary Littlejohn  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
All Tenchi* characters and the like are trademarks of AIC/Pioneer.  
I did not invent these characters, I simply thought up the situation  
for them to be in.  
--------------------  
  
It was 700 years ago, but I remember it quite well...  
  
It was such a peaceful day, that you never would have guessed   
that something so disasterous would happen to put an end to it. Ours   
was the mightiest nation in the galaxy. Truly, we were once a rowdy   
bunch of pirates, but all of that changed with the coming of Tsunami.   
Tsunami, our goddess of fortune, who taught us how to be civilized,   
how to rule firmly but with justice, and how to craft amazing and powerful   
ships from the trees which she bestowed upon as as gifts. We were her   
chosen, and because of that, we felt that we were invincible.  
  
We never would have dreamed that there were others like Tsunami   
in the universe. However, it seems that the existance of a singular   
powerful entity is impossible. In fact, there may be more than two of   
these god-like beings. We may never know how many exist, but we know   
that there are at least two after that fateful day.  
  
Riding in like a thunderstorm from the very bowels of hell, Ryo-Ohki   
emerged upon planet Jurai, making no disguise of her hostile intent   
towards the planet. Her powers were so great that even our most adept   
pilots, at the helms of our most elite battleships, were brought down as   
if they were gnats. Ryo-Ohki's screeching cries still echo in my ears   
every time I remember that day.  
  
But nothing could have prepared us for what the attack really was.   
It was not simply an attack on our planet, but an attack on the very core   
of our power, the space trees. Exiting from Ryo-Ohki came Ryoko, who was   
like a compact killing machine. No matter how many attacked her, all were   
slain. She seemed to have no feelings or regard for life in the slightest,   
the way she so casually dismembered our troops. Her face, when I was able   
to catch a glimpse of it from a survailance monitor, was cold and expressionless,   
as if this were just the everyday grind.  
  
At the time, things were getting a little out of hand because the   
princess, my granddaughter Sasami, had gone missing. We feared that she had   
been killed, but continued to look none the less. A moment later, I could   
sense distress of some sort coming from the royal tree chamber. I feared the   
worst. I thought that Ryoko had broken into the chamber and was destroying   
the trees. I was able to use the survailence system to look into the tree   
chamber, and just as I suspected, I saw Ryoko standing at its doors.  
  
She began to advance inward, but showed no hostility towards the trees.   
Suddenly, a ship crashed into the side of the chamber and Ryoko's face jerked in   
one direction as if she had heard something or noticed something. I tried other   
monitors, but couldn't see what she had due to damage to the system. However,   
after a moment of her standing and looking downwards with a blank expression on   
her face, she flew up and out of the room. This was the beginning of her appearent   
withdrawl from the planet. Whatever it was that she came to accomplish had ether   
been a success or a failure. We could not tell, but we intended to somehow   
capture her and question her.  
  
The fact that she was retreating did not halt our attack, and so she did   
not halt her's either. She viciously ordered Ryo-Ohki to blast the Tenjyu* at   
various places, including the gardens behind Ayeka's room. Ayeka seemed a bit   
upset by this, and was quick to take rash action. She boarded her newly formed   
Ryu-Oh and attacked Ryo-Ohki head on. In the end, she was almost destroyed.   
If it weren't for Yosho and his ship Funaho, it would have surely been Ayeka's   
final day. Blasting off in Funaho, Yosho was able to chase Ryo-Ohki and Ryoko   
off the planet and into space, and he tailed them all the way to Earth where,   
appearently, the final battle was fought.  
  
Now, one might ask how Ryoko gained so much power. It would seem that   
it was bestowed to her by a god-like being, much like the trees were bestowed   
unto us Juraians.  
  
"Seto-sama**..." Kanemitsu began, not seeming to know what to say about   
this. "Why do you bring this up suddenly?"  
  
"Because," I said "It looks like there's something very interesting   
happening on Earth. Not only have we just lost contact with Azusa-chan, who was   
in orbit, but we have also picked up a high level energy pocket from the planet."  
  
"An energy pocket?" he asked, inquiring about what was on my viewscreen.  
  
"Yes, and it matches the level of power that was seen on that fateful day   
when we were nearly brought to our knees." I said, gravely.  
  
"Seto-sama..." he seemed amazed. "Could it be that you are taking things   
seriously for a change?"  
  
"Seriously?" I raised an eyebrow. "I am very serious! This could be really   
interesting!" I cackled, carrying my laughter well beyond necessity.  
  
Kanemitsu sighed and then began to walk back towards the teleporter.  
  
"Kanemitsu-dono***" I said, trying to sound as serious as possible.  
  
He looked back at me.  
  
"Will you and the sector seven armada accompany me to Earth?" I asked. "I have   
a feeling that we could be facing a crisis of most serious proportions."  
  
"A crisis?" he asked, curiously.  
  
"Yes..." I replied calmly. "It seems like the gods are getting restless..."  
  
  
Back on Earth...  
  
  
"What the hell!!" Came out of my mouth naturally when I saw what was in that room.   
I saw Sasami, lying slouched against the wall, being strangled by a very familiar figure.  
  
"Tsunami!" Tenchi exclaimed. "What are you doing?"  
  
Tsuanmi's head turned to look at us, her eyes were aglow, a fiery red. I know   
that glow. It was the same one I had when I attacked Jurai so long ago. I knew from   
that very instant that she meant nothing but trouble, and the fact that she didn't stop   
squeezing Sasami's throat was a good indicator as well.  
  
"Tsunami!" I yelled "What the hell is wrong with you? Snap out of it!"  
  
She said nothing, and kept strangling. I couldn't take anymore. I formed my   
beam sword, leapt forward, and swung straight down at Tsunami's wrists. The sword seemed   
to pass through her as if she weren't really there.   
  
"A waste of time..." a voice came from behind us. We turned only to see Washu   
standing in the hallway, her eyes also glowing red. "You only have one gem, sweetie."  
  
Tsunami let go of Sasami and stood, staring at Washu.  
  
Washu raised her left hand and gave me a look that could freeze fire. I felt   
my power being pulled from me by force. I looked at my wrist and noticed that the gem   
on it was glowing. It soon vanished, only to re-appear on Washu's wrist. She did the   
same thing for her right wrist, effortlessly pulling one of the gems from Tenchi's   
sword into it. The finall gem was pulled from his sword a moment later and appeared   
on Washu's neck, just above her chest.  
  
"It's not right..." Washu said plainly. "To involve others in this, sister.   
Especially our most peaceful sibling."  
  
Tsunami growled at Washu, then spoke, her voice sounded as though it were being   
put through a distortion filter.  
  
"Maybe you're right." she laughed "And here I thought you had grown senile and   
forgotten about us, older sister."  
  
Washu smiled. "I couldn't, even if I wanted to."  
  
Well I was utterly confused. I had had just about enough of this nonsense. I   
walked right up to Washu and yelled...  
  
"WHAT THE HELL!" came naturally from my mouth as I screamed with confusion.  
  
-----  
* The Tenjyuu is a large tree on Jurai, and the royal family lives inside of it.  
** Sama is an honorific suffix, denoting not only that ther one whose name it is added   
to is respected, but also implies that you are not as great as that person.  
*** Dono is a suffix that is much like "san", but has a militaristic ring to it. In a   
military situation, you would not only refer to your equal ranking peers as "-dono",   
but also the ones who are underneath you in rank.  
-----  
  
To be continued  
  
(C)December 2002 Gary Littlejohn  
  
garylisk@yahoo.com - Comments welcome 


	8. The Meddling Goddesses

Sorry to keep you all waiting!  
Here's Chapter 8!  
  
The Meddling Goddesses (#8)  
A Tenchi & company short story by Gary Littlejohn  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
All Tenchi* characters and the like are trademarks of AIC/Pioneer.  
I did not invent these characters, I simply thought up the situation  
for them to be in.  
--------------------  
  
I normally write in a plain text editor and do not turn on word wrap, thus making it necessary for me to insert my own line breaks. However, I am writing this piece in Wordpad, so I will be writing relying on line breaks, so if you view this in a plain text editor, each paragraph will be on its own line. Again, this is fairly common among fanfiction these days, and since most editors feature a word wrap feature, it probably won't matter a whole lot to you as a reader. Just giving you fair warning.  
  
I hope you don't think I am copping out on writing original stuff these past couple chapters by retelling the past... but I think it's a good thing to retell, especially in my own way, for readers who do not know the past of Tenchi Muyo as well as me and many oher megafans out there.  
  
Also, in the last chapter, someone left a comment asking "Who were those people you randomly wrote about?"  
  
Well, if you mean Kanemitsu and Seto, they are characters which first appeared in "True Tenchi Muyo" a series of novels written by Masaki Kajishima, which are basically a precursor to the Tenchi OVAs. Seto is one of Jurai's royal family, and in fact, is Aeka and Sasami's grandmother. Kanemitsu is a commanding officer in Jurai's military. He commands what is known as the 7th Royal Armada, one of Jurai's most famous fleets appearently. Both of these characters also appear in "Tenchi Muyo! GXP" which aired last year on TV in Japan, and at least Seto will probably be appearing in the new Tenchi Muyo OVA, which is sceduled to be released later this year.  
  
Without further ado, here's chapter 8, told, once again, from Ryoko's perspective. Enjoy!  
  
-----  
  
  
This was a little too much for me to handle. Tsunami was trying to kill Sasami, Washu was acting funny, and nothing was making sense! All I knew was that my short lived romantic moment with Tenchi had ended and then this happened. I marched right up to Washu.  
  
'WHAT THE HELL!" I screamed, confused as I could possibly be.  
  
Washu looked at me, giving me a very typical look. She raised one eyebrow, breathed in, and screamed back "DON'T YELL AT YOUR MOM!", and then laughed as I flinced.  
  
"Oh yes, that's your daughter, isn't it, Washu?" Tsunami asked, her voice stil sounded garbled and strange. I had the feeling all I could do was watch this play out, despite the fact that tht idea didn't sit well with me.  
  
Tsunami continued "Do you expect her to take your place now that you've... heh... retired from your post, sister? She doesn't seem fit for the job at all!"  
  
Washu, remaining completely calm, simply said "My plans for her are none of your concern. I know what you're doing. I could sense it ever since you were born. You've been plotting it for millenia. Don't think I'm not bright enough to miss something like that."  
  
Tsunami laughed, walking towards Washu. "Oh sister, I had hoped you'd noticed! I had hoped you would agree with me!"  
  
"Never!" yelled Washu, losing her calm for the first time.  
  
"Oh, What a scary face!" Tsunami said, a sarcastic look of fear on her face, shortly followed by a sinister smile.  
  
"Just know this..." Tsunami continued. "Our sister is weak because she has merged with the Juraian named Sasami. She's lost much of her power, and can't resist me, as you can plainly see. Furthermore, her inability to resist gives me a rather... oh, let's just say... interesting way to attack you. Be careful."  
  
And then Tsunami dropped to the floor. Washu ran to her and shook her by the shoulders, her face now clouded with anger and disgust.  
  
"Tokimi! Tokimi, you terrible bitch! Why do you do this? Why can't you just leave us alone!" Washu said angrily before falling to her knees, hear head dropping onto Tsunami's chest. I could see her body heaving, and tears running from her eyes. Her hands were balled up into fists, gripping at Tsunami's clothing.  
  
Suddenly, I felt closer to my creator and mother than I had ever been in my life. I walked up to her, kneeled next to her, and took her into my arms. She openly returned the hug, pulling herself close to me and burying her face in my shoulder. I had never seen her like this before, and it shocked me. Whatever was going on must be the worst thing in the universe, that was my only explaination. No event had ever made Washu react this emotionally to anything before. Not only did it make me feel closer to my mom, but it scared me to no end.  
  
A moment later, Tsunami came to, and looked around confusedly.  
  
"Why..." she started, as if she wasn't sure where to start at all. "Why am I here? What's going on? Washu... Why are you crying?"  
  
Washu sucked in her tears and turned to face Tsunami with a grave look on her face. She wiped away the tears from her face and said "Tokimi has begun her revolution. She's not content to sit on her throne anymore."  
  
Tsunami, a frightened look on her face, said nothing in response. she simply nodded, as if there were nothing to say. Washu stood up and turned to face all of us.  
  
"You all..." she said "need to be very careful from now on. This was an attack from someone named Tokimi. She is my sister, and also Tsunami's sister."  
  
"Wait a second, Washu..." said Tenchi. "Are you saying that you and Tsunami are related somehow?"  
  
"Yes, Tenchi. Tsunami is my younger sibling, and the middle sibling in our little family. I am eldest, and Tokimi is youngest. I had hoped I would never have to tell you this, but it's unavoidable now." said Washu.  
  
"But wait a second, Washu. Tsunami is a Goddess. She gave the Juraians the space trees. How can she be your sister?" asked Aeka, completely confused.  
  
Washu sighed. "You still don't get it? Do you all still not understand what I am? Didn't you all think it was a little strange that I am over 20,000 years old? Didn't you find it a tad odd that those three gems which contain god-like powers somehow belong to me? It's not like I found the gems one day! Do you honestly think that anyone would let those babies slip out of their grasp? Tht's why Kagato wanted them so badly!"  
  
We all just sort of stared blankly towards Washu, not quite understanding what she was getting at. It seemed like she was trying to say that she was a Goddess as well, but I found that a little hard to swallow.  
  
"Wait a second..." said Mihoshi, who was still standing in the doorway, as she was the last person to enter the room. "That must mean that Miss Washu is a Goddess, too! I mean, it's only logical to assume that since she is Tsunami's sister, that she's a Goddess too, don't you think?"  
  
We all turned our heads slowly to look at Mihoshi, our blank expressions still firmly in place.  
  
Washu just sighed. "And yet again, Mihoshi is somehow the only person in thr group that gets what I'm saying."  
  
"Wait a minute!" I yelled. "You're a Goddess, Washu? You! A Goddess!"  
  
Washu and Tsunami nodded in unison.  
  
Well that just completely threw what I figured would be my life from this day forward right out the window. Mom was a Goddess, Go figure. Of all the nice things that could have happened to me, the most inconcievable one had to happen.  
  
Washu decided to continue with her story, saying "We Goddesses didn't always exist though. We don't know how the universe came into existance. I was the first of us to come into being, though. It seems like one day I just suddenly appeared and started thinking. I didn't really seem to have direction in my life, and just sort of floated out there for a long time."  
  
"Eventually, I decided to go out and see what else was out there. Maybe there were others like me in the universe. So in any case, I set out to find other forms of life, and I found them, that's for sure. Very primitive forms of life, not bearing any sort of intelligence at all. I watched them grow and evolve for a few millenia until they started showing signs of intelligence. Sometime during my time of observation, something clicked inside my mind, and I suddenly knew that I had a sister. She was suddenly by my side, watching these creatures, as if she had always been there. She called her self Tsunami, and I called myself Washu."  
  
"Tsunami, even more than me, loved life. She wanted to really get involved in life and living things. We decided that it would be fun to become like those living things. Tsunami was especially fond of a race of beings known as Juraians. Throughout the centuries of observing life and walking among the living things of the universe, we had seen civilizations come and go, rise and fall. The ones which we loved dearly, we gave little pushes here and there so they would not die, but we never meddled so severely to alter the course of a race completely. However, Tsunami had become so attatched to the Juraian people."  
  
"Tsunami loved the planet Jurai. It's people, it's customs, it's culture. Everything about it, she held close to her heart. When the Juraians emerged from their planet into space, she was overjoyed. However, the Juraians were a very proud race, and soon began to fight with other races in the universe. Their technology was inferior, so they would lose frequently. However, they would still fight back, eventually resorting to piracy."  
  
"Tsunami shed many tears because of this. She did not like the way the Juraians had developed since their dawn in space. Unable to hold back any longer, Tsunami descended to planet Jurai and befriended the Juraian emporer. She revealed to him that she was, indeed, a Goddess, and that she could grant Jurai great power. She promised that the Juraians would have long lifespans, that they would be known as pinnacles of space society, and that they would be revered through time as great people. The emporer was, of course, interested in her offer. I watched with interest to see what her meddling would accomplish."  
  
"Tsunami said that the emporer could have all of these things for the Juraian people if he would cease his warlike ways and live only to defend the reighteous and true in the universe, and turn Jurai into a pinnacle of good, peace, and knowledge. The emporer agreed to this and ordered that the battles cease, and that the Juraian fleets were only to defend themselves if attacked. He also ordered the stop of the pirate guild. Many pirates resisted and split away from the Juraian empire, forming the now famous pirate guild that would eventually split into many factions of pirates, all vying for superiority in the universe."  
  
"In return for the Emporer's great act of bravery in trusting her, she gave to the Juraian people, trees which she created. The already lush vegetation of Jurai now boomed with giant special trees, which were sentient and psychic. The trees contained great power, and Tsunami explained to the emporer that they could be turned into space ships of great power."  
  
"Thus the Juraian empire was born. It was around this time that I sensed that I had another sister, named Tokimi, who joined me in watching Tsunami. Tokimi, unlike Tsunami, seemed to dislike me, so I avoided her purposely. I decided to descend to the now well-formed galactic civilization and stop living as a Goddess. Tokimi did not follow me, even though she would be alone now. I was living on my own terms, and Tsunami was living with the Juraians."  
  
"I sealed my powers as a goddess into three small red gems, and kept them on myself at all times. I then proceeded to learn as much as I could from the people of the universe about science, mathematics, nature, art, and anything else that tickled my fancy. In other words, I became a genius. Let me rephrase that, I always was a genius, but now I was actually using my intellect for my own means of self-betterment."  
  
"However, having basically become a mortal, there were some very unexpected things to come my way. I experienced friendship, rivalry, hatred, sadness, love, childbirth, loss, betreyal, contempt, and a ton of other things.... but I don't wnat to bore you all with the measly little details" she said with a tear in here eye and a lump in her throat.  
  
"Anyway" she continued "this bring sup up to speed. It seems my younger sister, Tokimi, is going to try to take over the universe. She could do it pretty easily if it weren't for Tsunami and myself. And that, I imagine, is her goal... she wants to kill us."  
  
Washu stood up and brushed herself off, seeming to have regained her composure.  
  
"Yep, that must be it. Since I've gotten rid of most of my powers and sealed them up into those gems, I am much weaker, and she could possibly kill me. As for Tsunami, she is very vulnerable right now, and will remain vulnerable until Sasami grows up and they can truly join into one body."  
  
I blinked in awe at what I had been told. Washu had just told us, in simple terms, the history of the universe for the past few millions of years.  
  
"What the hell..." I said in awe, shaking my head.  
  
------  
To be continued  
  
(C)January 2003 Gary Littlejohn  
  
garylisk@yahoo.com - Comments welcome 


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